The Most Common Medication Errors

Approximately 1.3 million people are injured annually in
the United States following so-called "medication errors". The National
Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention defines a
medication error as "any preventable event that may cause or lead to
inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the
control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer...related to professional
practice, health care products, procedures, and systems, including prescribing;
order communication; product labeling, packaging, and nomenclature; compounding;
dispensing; distribution; administration; education; monitoring; and use."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently reviews medication
error reports that come from drug manufacturers and through MedWatch, the
agency's safety information and adverse event reporting
program. The agency also receives reports about medication errors from the
Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) and the U.S. Pharmacopeia.

What kinds of errors are most common?

In a study by the FDA that evaluated reports of fatal
medication errors from 1993 to 1998, the most common error involving medications
was related to administration of an improper dose of medicine, accounting for
41% of fatal medication errors. Giving the wrong drug and using the wrong route
of administration each accounted for 16% of the errors. Almost half of the fatal
medication errors occurred in people over the age of 60. Older people may be at
greatest risk for medication errors because they often take multiple
prescription medications.

How can you help prevent medication errors?

When your doctor gives you a prescription, ask him or
her to tell you the name of the drug, the correct dosage, and what the drug is
used for. Be sure you understand the directions for any medications you may be
taking including the correct dosage, storage requirements, and any special
instructions.

In the hospital, ask (or have a relative or friend ask) the name
and purpose of each drug you are given.

Be sure to tell your doctor the names of
all the prescription and non-prescription drugs, dietary supplements, and herbal
preparations you are taking every time he
or she writes you a new prescription. This will help to prevent another type of
medication problem, undesirable and potentially serious interactions among
medications.

Finally, never be afraid to ask questions. If the name of the drug
on your prescription looks different than you expected, if the directions appear
different than you thought, or if the pills or medication itself looks
different, tell your doctor or pharmacist right away. Asking questions if you
have any suspicions at all is a free and easy way to ensure that you don't
become the victim of a medication error.

References:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Medication error reports."

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Strategies to reduce medication errors."